Stewart j



Patented Sept. 4, 1923.

UNETED S? STEWART J. CARROLL, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TOEASTMAN KODAK COMPANY, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEWYORK.

CELLULOSE-ETHER COMPOSITION.

No Drawing.

To all whomjt may concern:

Be it known that I, STEWART J. CARROLL, a citizen of the United Statesof America, residin at Rochester, in the county of Monroe an btate ofNew York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inCellulose-Ether Compositions, of which the following is a full, clear,and exact Specification.

This invention relates to solvents for cellulose ethers and tocompositions produced by the aid of such solvents. One object of theinvention is to provide a solvent which will readily dissolve celluloseethers and make as strong solutions as may be required in the varnishand plastic arts, including solutions sufficiently viscous for filmmanufacture. Another object of the invention is to provide celluloseether compositions which may made intostrong flexible transparent film.Other objects will hereinafter appear.

I have discovered that these objects may be attained by mixing ethylbenzene with certain alkyl compounds and. by dissolving cellulose etherin the mixture. This mixture has a much greater solvent action than thesum of the solvent actions of its constituents when used alone. In factethyl benzene alone has practically no solvent power for the ethers. Thealkyl compounds which I may employ are the monohydroxy aliphaticalcohols containing less than six carbon atoms, acetates of suchalcohols, and mixtures of these, and I designate these by theexpressioma compound based upon a monohydroxy aliphatic alcoholcontaining less than 6 carbon atoms. In the preferred embodiments of myinvention I prefer to use the more volatile of these compounds such asmethyl alcohol, ethyl alcohol, methyl acetate, or, ethyl acetate.

By way of example I may mix from 10 to 90 parts by weight of ethylbenzene with 90 to 10 parts of methyl acetate. A 10 to 90 mixture ofethyl benzene and methyl acetate, for instance, will dissolve fromonefourth to one-sixth (say one-fifth) of its own weight ofwater-insoluble ethyl cellulose to form a thick, viscous, -flowablesolution suitable for film manufacture in the usual way.

Other substances which impart useful properties to the film may be addedto the Application filed March 3, 1922. Serial No. 540,804.

flowable composition such, for example, as triphenyl or tricresylphosphate, camphor, monochlornaphthalene, etc. The ingredients are ofthe commercial type, sufficiently purified to give film having thedesired freedom from color. On account of its relatively higher boilingpoint ethyl benzene evaporates more slowly and suflicient amounts of itremain in the film to increase the useful properties of the latter.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. A composition of matter comprising cellulose ether and ethyl benzene.

2. A composition of matter, comprising cellulose ether dissolved in amixture of ethyl benzene and a liquid compound which coat-ts with saidethyl benzene to give said mixture greater solvent action on thecellulose ether than the sum of the solvent actions of its saidconstituents used alone, said liquid compound being based upon amonohydroxy aliphatic alcohol containing less than 6 carbon atoms.

3. A composition of matter comprisi cellulose ether, ethyl benzene andmeth fi acetate.

4. A viscous, flowable, film-forming composition, comprising 1 art byweight of cellulose'ether dissolved in from 4 to 6 partsv of a mixturecontaining ethyl benzene and a liquid compound which coacts with saidethyl benzene to give said mixture greater solvent action on thecellulose ether than the sum of the solvent actions of its saidconstituents used alone, said li uid compound being based upon a monohyroxy aliphatic alcohol containin less than 6 carbon atoms.

5. A compositlon of matter comprising cellulose ether in a mixture of 10to 90 parts of ethyl benzene with 90 to 10 parts of methyl acetate.

6. As an article of manufacture a flowed film comprising cellulose etherand ethyl benzene.

7. As an article of manufacture a flowed flexible film comprisingwater-insoluble ethyl cellulose and ethyl benzene.

Signed at Rochester, New York, this 24th day of Feb. 1922.

STEWART J. CARROLL

